 |
|
|
Visas, Documents and Embassies2006/07/26
Whatever your reason for coming to China, except for certain narrowly defined business or official reasons, you must obtain a visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate before your departure. Tourist visas are normally issued in three to five working days, with the one-day express service doubling the price. It may be more convenient for tourists booked through Chinese travel agencies to get group visas. Tourist visas are valid for three months from the date of arrival, which must fall within three months of the date of issue from the consulate. Once inside the country, a visa can be extended for an extra 30 days on up to two separate occasions by visiting the Foreign Affairs Section of the Public Security Bureau. Extensions vary in price, depending on your nationality. American travellers pay 185 yuan (US$23) for the privilege. Expect to wait up to five days for your visa extension to be processed, and you will need two passport photos, which are often available at the office (30 yuan for five, about US$3.70). First time extensions are generally easy to obtain. However, the holy grail of the second extension is much more difficult, will certainly involve a lot of luck and may only bestow an extra week. The fine for overstaying your visa is officially 500 yuan (US$62.50) per day, but all manner of lengthy extensions and conversions to different categories of visa are widely available through agents for a fee. There are nine categories of Chinese visas: L Travel / F Business or student / D Resident / G Transit / X Long-term student / Z Working / C Flight attendant / J-1 Foreign journalists resident in China / J-2 Foreign journalists on brief reporting trips to China. It is wise to carry your passport with you at all times, because you will need it to register in hotels, buy airplane tickets, change money or even to surf the Internet. If you lose your passport, you should report it immediately to your embassy, as well as to a Public Security Bureau near where you are staying. If staying any length of time, it is wise to apply for a residence permit from the local Public Security Bureau, which tends to be a lengthy form-filling headache.
The main Foreign Affairs Branch of the Beijing Public Security Bureau is at 2 Andingmen Dongdajie (8:30 a.m.–Noon and 1–4:30 p.m., Monday–Saturday. Contacts are: +86 10 8401 5292 and http://www.bjgaj.gov.cn). The visa office is on the second floor on the eastern side of the building.
Branches of Exit-Entry Administration of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch Add: 9 a.m. –Noon and 1–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday Bus: 9, 112, 118, 350, 729, 835 Haidian Branch Add: 67 Fucheng Lu, Haidian District 8:30 a.m.–Noon and 1–5 p.m., Monday–Friday. Bus: 121, 335, 601, 603, 645, 967
Embassies in Beijing
Generally embassies are open from
|
| * |
京ICPè¯050057å·http://www.miibeian.gov.cn